I love reading the Psalms. They contain honesty, raw emotion, and yes, some puzzling statements. Spending time thinking about their content can be nurturing and restoring, but I sometimes forget that they were written by real people, people who had experience of God – both positive and puzzling experiences – who took the time to crystallise their thoughts into words. I don’t suppose that the authors imagined for a moment that you and I would be reading them centuries later. Choosing words to express what we know and/or experience can be a very helpful exercise. It can help us get to the root of what matters to us, what we really think. With that in mind, why not take some time to consolidate your own thoughts into a psalm or poem? Here are some suggestions for a format which might help.
1. Begin with...
Praise the Lord Oh my soul… Bless the Lord Oh my soul… I’m deeply grateful for…
- Consider why… call to mind what it is that causes you to respond this way?
- What is it about God’s goodness that draws out praise?
- What is it that you don’t want to forget?
2. Then...
Thank the Lord… What causes you to be grateful?
- Today?
- For yourself?
- For others?
3. Move on to remember...
For you Lord are… For He is… Record aspects of:
- Who God is.
- How God is.
- How you experience Him
You might want to repeat each of these.